MARKETPLACE WINES?

The majority of the wines we list are sourced from the market. This includes direct from growers, exclusive distributors and agents and European Trade stockholders.
The typical lead time for consolidation, shipping and arrival into our cellars from confirmed order is approximately 6 to 8 weeks.

IMMEDIATE WINES?

These are immediately available wines are held in our temperature-controlled cellars at London City Bond. Please note, if your order contains 'immediate' and 'marketplace' wines, these will be delivered together.

Scotland Whisky

If any country can lay claim to whisky, it is Scotland. Whisky production is an integral part of the culture, and, in the eyes of many whisky lovers, the spirit is simply synonymous with “Scotch”. There are several styles of Scotch whisky, yet one in particular wears the crown as one of the most revered spirits in the world; Single Malt Scotch Whisky is known worldwide for its great complexity and individuality. We offer an extensive range of world-class Single Malts from regions across Scotland, including many limited-release cask bottlings from the world’s most exclusive distilleries, as well as some that are long since closed and others that are brand new (such as Arbikie). Below you will find insight into the main Scottish whisky producing regions and some of the top producers, along with the selection of rare single malts currently on offer.

Scotland’s Regions

According to records, distillation occurred as long ago as 1494 in Scotland. It is believed that whisky evolved from a Scottish drink called uisge beatha, meaning "water of life". Scottish Single Malt is produced in five principal regions, each with a distinct terroir which imparts its own unique taste on the whisky. Those from the Lowlands are known for their light body and distinctive freshness, while those from the sprawling Highlands are probably the most varied in style, yet many are warm and rounded with smooth floral notes. Speyside is located in the Highlands, yet it is generally recognised as a region in its own right given that it is the home of over half of Scotland’s distilleries. Speyside whiskies are characterised by their delicate elegance and fine flavours of honey, fruits and spice. Islay is the key island region: located in the Inner Hebrides, it is home to just a handful of distilleries, including the iconic Ardbeg. Islay’s whiskies pay homage to their island origins, with notes of salt, sea weed, peat and smoke. Back on the mainland, Campbeltown is the final whisky producing region. Once the location of over thirty distilleries, Campbeltown is now home to just three, and its full-bodied, slightly salty whiskies are quite unique.

Ardbeg

Ardbeg is an icon of Islay. Established in 1815 by the MacDougall family on the site of an old smuggling location, it has a long history of producing some of Scotland’s very best single malt. After Ardbeg’s initial success, two other distilleries were established just a few miles away: Laphroaig and Lagavulin, two of the most famous worldwide. While Ardbeg may be tiny compared to its giant neighbours with less than half the volume, its malt whiskies are always extremely sought after, winning a variety of awards. In 2008, Ardbeg’s Ten Years Old whisky was named “World Whisky of the Year” and “Single Malt of the Year” by Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, before winning the same two titles again for the Uigeadail in 2009 & 2010.

Some would argue that Ardbeg produces Islay’s smokiest malt, yet it is its balance between smoke and sweet that gives Ardbeg its distinct flavour profile.

Last Drop

The Last Drop Distillers Ltd is perhaps the world’s smallest and most exclusive luxury spirits company, which is fast establishing itself as a global brand. The three founders of The Last Drop, James Espey, Tom Jago and Peter Fleck, have previously been involved in the creation of some of the world’s best-known spirits brands such as Johnnie Walker Blue Label, Chivas Regal 18 Year Old, Malibu and Baileys Irish Cream. After this success, the three men decided to create a final, unique brand in The Last Drop Distillers Ltd. with the goal to be the world’s most exclusive spirits company. By sourcing and bottling the world’s rarest spirits, often produced by long since shut distilleries, The Last Drop offers the kind of experience on the eye, nose and palate that only comes to most people once in a lifetime. Releases from The Last Drop always sell out extremely quickly, such is their scarcity and cache in the luxury drinks market. We are honoured to be the only UK wine merchant to gain direct allocations with The Last Drop and hold the status of their official UK stockists.

Balvenie

The Balvenie (meaning “Village of luck”) distillery was founded in 1886 by William Grant in Dufftown, Scotland. The first distillation took place in 1893 and Grant continued company until his death at the age of 83. Today the distillery is still own by the family company: William Grant & sons Limited, the third largest producer of Scotch whisky and owners if Glenfiddich and Kininvie.

Part of the success of Balvenie is due to the genius of its long serving master distiller, David Stewart. Now one of the longest serving and best respected malt masters in the industry, David originally started work for the company as a teenage apprentice in and he has taken Balvenie from strength to strength ever since, progressing to Master Distiller in 1974. David was the first to develop pioneering maturation techniques that are standard nowadays in the industry such as the two casks maturation process, ale cask finish and sherry cask finish. Thanks to his work and dedication, David has earnt William Grant international acclaim and awards, such as becoming five time champion of the International Spirits Challenge’s prestigious “Distiller of the year” award.

Macallan

Macallan’s long history as one of Scotland’s foremost distilleries started in 1824. Originally licensed under the name Elchies distillery, it became known as Macallan-Glenlivet by the end of the 19th following its expansion, with the suffix “Glenlivet” ultimately discarded in the 1980s.

Macallan whisky was originally matured solely in Sherry casks, but in 1994 the distillery debuted its Fine Oak range that was matured in Bourbon Casks. The collection was a success, with the 18 year old Fine Oak Malt winning first place in the “Best Malts of the Worlds” ranking in Whisky Magazine.

Macallan whiskies are now extremely sought-after across the range, with their old expressions highly-prized among collectors of luxury spirits. With prices and demand continuing to increase year on year, they are undoubtedly a must-have for any collection.

Glenfarclas

Situated in the heart of Speyside, Glenfarclas has been owned and managed by the Grant family since 1865, making it one of very few remaining family-run Scottish distilleries.

The fifth and sixth generations of Grants run the distillery with the experience and care handed down over the decades, continuing the legacy of their forefathers by producing first rate Highland Single Malt with a heavy Sherry influence.

The distillery is especially renowned for its extensive holdings of old malt that continue to mature in its warehouses; it is believed that their expansive warehouse contains over 68 000 casks, dating from 1953 to the present day. In 2007, Glenfarclas began to release a unique collection of single casks from this old stock: these became known as the “Glenfarclas Family Casks”. The Family Casks initially consisted of 43 single casks covering every year from 1952 to 1994, however huge success and demand has led Glenfarclas to since extend the range to the year 2000. The tiny number of bottles available (just a few hundred per year) has made the Family Casks even more rare and collectable.

Gordon & Macphail

Founded in 1865 by James Gordon and John Alexander MacPhail, Speyside based Gordon & Macphail is an independent family-run company which has been bottling whiskies for over 120 years. The business was originally not only revolving around whisky trading; Gordon & Macphail were also grocers and Wine and Spirits merchants selling other products. Over time, whisky became a greater focus and today Gordon & Macphail has expanded to all aspects of the industry, retailing, wholesaling, exporting, bottling and distilling (they have owned Benromach distillery since 1993). Gordon & Macphail has an extensive range of fine, old and rare single malts bottled under their “Connoisseur’s Choice” range. They also stock one of the world’s largest ranges of whiskies, bottling 350 different expressions from about 70 distilleries. They have previously made history and headlines by putting some of the world’s oldest malt onto the market, for example the 1938 Gordon & Macphail “Generations Series” Mortlach 70 Years old, which was released in March 2010.

For UK and EU clients this means that VAT will still need to be paid at the prevailing rate. This does not affect non-EU export orders.

What Are ‘En Primeur’ Wines?

‘En primeur’ wines, or wine ‘futures’ are those that are bought before the wine has been bottled and are still in the barrel. They are bought in bond – i.e. excluding duty and VAT. For many wines, buying ‘en primeur’ allows you to buy at a better price than buying after the wine has been bottled and shipped. The wine typically arrives in the UK one to three years after the harvest, therefore up to two years after you have made your purchase.

This wine has been flagged as less than 'perfect condition' (taking into consideration its age). The relevant indicators can include: lower content level, bin-soiled label, damaged cap etc. As a result, this is available at a discounted market price.

Our proprietary market making system runs algorithms across a basket of international supplier prices to establish the Market Price for a wine. This provides the benchmark against which buyers and sellers can make confident and informed decisions.

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